In light of Madonna’s recent comments in support of the Roma (Gypsies) and the consequent booing she received in Romania, I’d like to state my formal allegiance with her, in her stand for equality. I,for one, have not forgotten that the Gypsies suffered just like the Jews in the Holocaust and discrimination against them should be no more tolerated than Anti-Semitism. Although, since its Europe, both will remain prevalent. I’m glad that Madonna used her celeb power to call people out on their prejudice. Supposedly, people also booed when she said Homophobia needed to be challenged as well. Note to self: Eastern Europe is still pretty conservative. Post-pone vacation there. Also, what’s the point of being famous if you don’t do anything good with it? Glad to see Madonna is still making folks uncomfortable. That’s the artist’s work- to shake things up. Props to the Roma, who are keeping their heads up despite the Haters. Perhaps the cruelest irony lies in the ample appropriation of Roma culture that Europe delights in without treating the people themselves with any respect. It’s like us and Black people, huh?
To check out the Black/Jewish connection, peep the piece in Harper’s Bazaar titled Minority Death Match written by Naomi Klein. I found it interesting that Ms. Klein sets up the Jews as the derailers of the Durban conference on Racism, without the Arab States, or at least the Arab NGOs getting their fair share of the blame. While she shows that to the eye of reparation advocates, Israel lobbyists prevented them from getting their voices heard, I wish she had clarified for the general audience that in fact it was a set up with the Jews against the Blacks, by people who wish the Jewish people harm- the same folks waving Nazi style cartoons at Durban in the first place. And speaking of Nazis, I got to see the movie, “Inglorious Basterds” with my younger brother before he headed off to college. Him flying the nest is killing my mothers. One mom, after being awash in tears for weeks, consulted her healer who admonished her for not having called sooner, since it was “past life stuff ” that had to be cleared from her psyche. In the Roman Era, she had sent him off to war, in another lifetime in which he was her son, and he hadn’t returned. ” That’s why your grief is so intense.” Um, okay. The other Mama suddenly can’t sleep. It reminds me of when I returned from living in Israel and Nina tried to get me to adhere to a curfew because she said she couldn’t sleep with me out and running around. “But, I’ve been in the Middle East for a year. Don’t tell me you haven’t slept the whole time.” “No, not well” she said.
The movie interested me in that it had absolutely no loyalty to history. In America this is dangerous, most people don’t know the facts, they don’t know that it’s purposefully wrong. To the slightly educated eye, it makes its fantastical position plenty clear. In this version the Nazis suffer for their crimes. It’s fun to watch. Who doesn’t love seeing Nazis die? They are such a safe enemy- historical and eeeeevil. In one scene, a Nazi is beaten to death with a baseball bat and it’s set up to be funny. It works- partially because we, as an audience, are aware that it’s just a movie and because this movie reminds you more often than most of this fact. But still, who else could be killed in that way and not elicit sympathy? Ah, Nazis. Watch out all you Gypsy haters in Europe because you could be the next movie villains if you don’t act right….

On Yahoo news is an article about a South African runner who is undergoing gender testing after easily winning at the world championships. I thought it was interesting that it is considered possible for gender to be determined through testing and outside sources as my understanding is that gender, as opposed to sexuality is self-identified and largely socially constructed. It is another example of science claiming to be objective when in fact science is as culturally driven as any other discipline. I had the fortune recently to hear the wonderful song “You won’t succeed on Broadway,” from the musical Spamalot. It affirms the lynchpin status of Jews in the arts. I would like to share it with you, so hopefully my philistine level of tech understanding will allow you to hear it too.
The photo above is from my recent attempt at a “professional” headshot that would better represent me for shows like “CSI” or the more local “In Plain Sight”. This was one pose I had to try despite knowing that it wouldn’t fly.